I really love beautiful Christmas stockings. To me it’s like the Christmas tree or a nativity scene. It’s all visions of Christmas!
The age-old tradition related to Christmas stockings recalls that the first Santa Claus (Saint Nicholas) left his very first presents of gold coins in the stockings of three poor girls who needed money for their wedding. The ladies had actually hung their stockings by the fireplace for drying without knowing about the present of Santa Claus. It is for this tradition that Christmas stockings are being considered auspicious on Christmas. And they are always hung over the fireplace mantle.
The mere thought of beautiful Christmas stockings stuffed with surprises, hung over the fireplace lights up the faces of small children. On Christmas Eve, kids become so excited thinking about the gifts and surprises left by Saint Nick. As soon as the they believe it’s morning, (no 2 AM is not morning), they get up to sneak downstairs to peek inside the stockings to see if the Santa Claus has given them their much-awaited gifts.
In the days from years ago, it was traditional to receive small presents like fruits, nuts, chocolates and candies in the beautiful Christmas stockings. But nowadays these small presents have given way to more pricey gifts. The latest trend is that stockings can be stuffed with anything from school supplies and toy batteries to art and craft supplies. It’s also a thrill to put a special gift on your wife’s stocking for her to discover Christmas morning too! Oh yes, she can get all excited too!
The new beautiful Christmas stockings at present are made from novel materials like lace or satin. Then done up in creative shapes, and packed with coordinated presents. The hot favorites among the children are the red and green color stockings with the image of Santa Claus on them. Christmas stockings are now the new Christmas gifts.
I especially love Christmas stockings that have been embroidered to represent Christmas drawings from the early 1900’s. With today’s modern fabrics, metallic threads and notions, it’s possible to make a beatiful work of art in a Christmas stocking!
Quilted Beautiful Christmas Stockings
Do you love the look of quilts, but know you will never have the time or patience it takes to create one yourself? You could still make a quick and easy quilted Christmas stockings.
The benefit of the quilted Christmas stocking is that stockings are a much smaller project than a full size quilt. You would get the satisfaction of quilting, without investing the time needed for a full quilt.
Many traditional quilt patterns would make beautiful Christmas stockings. Try a log cabin quilt design made from Christmas reds and greens. Use a double wedding ring quilt pattern in Victorian colors. A beaded trim for adds a funky yet vintage look.
Yo yo quilt patterns also make gorgeous Christmas stockings. Soft pastels will make an adorable baby’s first Christmas stocking. It will certainly become a family heirloom! Choose popular colors that will coordinate with current interior design trends to sell as home d cor.
Quilt patterns for these designs are available in many books and are often found for free online. Take a look around to see what patterns you like.
Personalized Beautiful Christmas Stocking
If you would like to personalize your quilted Christmas stockings, you will need a method of putting a name on them. Iron-on letters are available at most craft and hobby stores, but might compromise the entire look of the stocking depending on the style of both. Embroidery is probably your best bet.
You may choose to hand embroider names to your quilted Christmas stockings. If you know how to do a simple chain stitch and a French knot to dot your “i’s,” you should be set.
Machine embroidery offers a nice look to personalize your quilted Christmas stockings. If you do not already have an embroidery machine, the cost may be more than you want to spend. Check your local sewing centers and dealers to see what the prices are. If you just want to be able to embroider names on your quilted Christmas stockings, you might run across a less expensive machine.
Adding the name will allow you to add about $10 to $15 more to the cost of your stockings. To gauge whether the expense is worth it or not, divide the price of the machine by $10 or $15, whichever you choose to charge as the personalization fee. A $1500 embroidery machine with a $15 personalization fee, means you have to sew 100 names on stockings to break even. In the right location, you might be able to do that in one season!
More expensive embroidery machines also exist. You can expect to pay $4000 to $8000 for a new semi-commercial embroidery machine.
If you do consider buying an embroidery machine to personalize your quilted Christmas stockings, look to see how they sew. If the sewing surface is flat, you would have to embroider the name onto the stocking before it’s sewn to the back side. A cylindrical arm will allow you to sew on stockings already made.
Another option for personalizing your quilted Christmas stockings is to use appliqu . Cut the letters from fabric and stitch them onto the stocking by hand or using a zigzag or satin machine stitch.
Regardless of where you get your beautiful Christmas stockings, it’s a great and wonderful Christmas tradition!
